Current positions

Reader in Human Genetics and Embryology
Deputy Director of UCL Centre for PG&D
Principal Investigator for research at UCL Centre for PG&D
Head of Research and Development at the Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health
Programme Director of MSc courses: Prenatal Genetics and Fetal Medicine/Reproductive Science and Women’s Health
Postgraduate Tutor (taught)

Address

Background

I have been working in the field of IVF since 1987 after completing my PhD at Kings College London. I worked as the Laboratory Director at the London Fertility Centre with Ian Craft and then joined the Hammersmith Hospital preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) team in 1992. In 1993 I started a joint post with the Hammersmith PGD team and Joy Delhanty at University College London. Since this time I have been working with Joy running the UCL Centre for PG&D. UCL Centre for PG&D is unique in being involved in clinical PGD, training and research covering all aspects of PGD and preimplantation genetics (UCL Centre for PGD)

Clinical

I am Deputy Director of UCL Centre for PG & D. UCL Centre for PG & D has been doing PGD diagnosis since 1990.

Teaching

In 1996 we designed and set up the MSc in Prenatal Genetics and Fetal Medicine, which has been running very successfully since. In 2009 I set up the MSc in Reproductive Science and Womens Health. I am the programme Director of both courses. I have a large PhD student programme.
In 2009 we hosted our 14th Annual Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Workshop, which have always been a huge success. We also run six week and 12 month training programmes.

Research

Principal investigator of UCL Centre for PG & D and person responsible for the HFEA Research Licence and head of research and development at the Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health, UCLH. UCL Centre for PG & D covers a range of research interests in preimplantation genetics, ranging from DNA damage and aneuploidy in sperm to methylation patterns in human embryos.

ESHRE

In 1997, I was jointly responsible for setting up the ESHRE PGD Consortium. My work with ESHRE has involved several roles but as Chair of the PGD Consortium (2006-2010) I am involved in communication between international PGD centres. The Consortium produces annual reports on the international data on PGD and paper VIII analysed cumulative data on almost 22,000 cycles of PGD. In 2009 the work of the Consortium has concentrated on writing new guidelines, setting up EQA systems for FISH and PCR, helping PGD labs get accredited, improvements in data collection, and establishing a molecular diagnosis database. The Consortium continues to organise many interesting meetings. I have many other roles in ESHRE.

Other Boards and Positions

HFEA: Nominal Licensee for the HFEA Treatment Licence and Person Responsible for the HFEA research licence, member of the Horizon Scanning Group and the Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee PGSIS/ISPD/Fellowships: In 2003 I was appointed a founder board member of the PGD International Society (PGDIS) and we hosted a conference in London in 2005. I was a member of ESHRE Executive Committee from 2003-2007 and am on the ESHRE task force for PGS and the committee that has developed a certificate for clinical embryologist. I am a board member of the International Society of Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD – 2006-2012). I became a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (2007), a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (2007) and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2007).

Publications and books

I have published over 100 papers. I have written two books on PGD; the first published by Wiley in 2001 jointly edited by Alan Handyside and Joy Delhanty and the second was published in 2009 by Cambridge University Press which I edited myself. In 1998 we had the first special issue of Prenatal Diagnosis on Preimplantation Genetics and Diagnosis, edited by myself, Joy Delhanty and Eugene Pergament and after several special issues I continue to be principal editor for papers on PGD for Prenatal Diagnosis.

This page last modified 13 December, 2009 by [Joyce Harper]